


Burning of Sand Covered Hands

by mintastic



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: Gen, I haven't read/seen this show in literal years so I use the wiki to vaguely fact check, Light Angst, Ryou-centric, Warnings May Change, hey remember when ryou had a dead mother and sister, includes manga/season 0 verse, more about the characters than the card games anyways, post-final duel, ryou has some PTSD from the spirit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-01-21 04:03:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12449289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintastic/pseuds/mintastic
Summary: Dark and light reside in relative balance within a sound soul. Imbalanced, and the soul cannot fully pass on. Either light or darkness will be reborn, the cycle eternal until stability is formed.Yugi and Ryou both were born purely light. Through many trials Yugi learned from his own darkness and was made balanced.Ryou has not. The Thief King cannot be afforded the chance to be reborn. Fate must be taken once more into his well worn hands.





	1. Prologue

Ryou looked out the window of his apartment. The few people out this late walked on the street below, heads bowed and jackets wrapped tightly around frail bodies. The wind was relentless in the dark.

Leaning his head forward onto shaking glass, he closed his eyes and listened to the various creeks the apartment made, standing out to the shrieking of the gusts. When he was younger, he used to concentrate as hard as he could to hear if spirits were talking. When he concentrates now, all that could be heard is silence.

It had been two years since the trouble with the millennium items finally ended. For a while, the only emotion he could feel was a deep relief that sunk to his bones. He felt more like himself than he had in years, as if he could finally breathe after being bound by thick lead.

Unfortunately it didn't take long for the afterglow to wear off, paranoia swiftly taking its place. Every creak, snap, or quiet murmur made his head whip around, white hair flying as his eyes took in every detail in sight. Other times he would grow still, hardly breathing, waiting for the telltale clink of metal settling near the scars on his chest.

He would lay awake at night, staring wide eyed into the dark, desperately tired but pulsing with adrenaline. He had been caught off guard far too many times by the “permanent” disappearances of the spirit, and he would be dammed if he let it happen again.

It had taken more than half of a year before he finally fell into a tentative sense of security, and longer than that to stop having nightmares of shattering glass and blackouts.

In fact, it was unreal how normal life seemed after he had calmed down. When sleep became a usual event, he began picking up his falling grades, and had finished high school with them comfortably above average. He wasn't anywhere near the level of Kaiba, who with a company to run, the hosting of tournaments, and the constant rescuing of his brother, had never let his grades fall a single point. That man was most definitely a genius, so trying to compare to that was just setting himself up for failure. It was with a twinge of bitterness he recalled a lifetime ago, when he could be that effortlessly attentive, taking information in like a greedy pit. Back then, he had motivation to do well. He had to set a good example for his little sister, and impress his parents. Tried to show them how good a brother and son he was.

Ryou drew back from the window with a jerk, face dark. A deep breath and a moment later had reaffirmed his neutral front. He learned to use it years ago, whenever his mind drifted where he didn't want to go. Closing the curtains and wandering back, the brown eyed teen ventured toward the couch.

It was ripped in a few spots, but on the whole was relatively perfect. One of the few rules he laid down when Yugi and his friends had their visits was to respect the couch as if their life depended on it. He had saved up quite a bit to buy it, and was one of the few pieces of furniture that wasn't included with the place.

It had been bought second hand, the previous owner being a recently deceased woman and her daughter. The salesman, who thought it would be a good selling point to tell customers, was obviously mistaken, as the couch was marked down several times before Ryou had enough saved. One of the assistants that helped him set it up in his living room had asked him why he was so interested in a supposedly haunted couch.

Ryou shrugged, saying that he wasn't going to blame an innocent piece of furniture for murder, and left it at that. In reality it reminded him of his old home in a way, the color one that brought thoughts of better times. Memories of his mother telling her children a story from a bright blue living room convinced him to buy it, and gave reason to his meticulous treatment of it.

He very nearly murdered Jonouchi when he spilled some soda on the poor thing, before settling for a death glare borrowed from what he assumed the spirit used. He had to admit, seeing the blond pale five shades and jump up like something had bit him made him feel slightly better. Unfortunately the feeling didn't last long as a moment later Jonouchi landed body first on the coffee table, tripping on his untied shoelaces, snapping the wood in half.

An hour of explaining that no, he wasn't possessed right now, no he didn't have murderous desires toward Yugi, yes he was really himself, and no he didn't care that the coffee table had broken had completely ruined any of the good feelings he got from the glare, leaving him with heavy guilt. Jonouchi could have gotten hurt from that stunt, had the table been made of something more likely to splinter. The spirit already caused enough damage, he didn't need to add more to the mix.

Guilt aside, drinks were indefinitely banned from being near his sofa.

Ryou sighed as he sat down, leaning his head back and stretching his legs. His joints felt stiff, and a headache burned behind his temples. He brought both his hands up to rub his face, enjoying how cold his fingers felt to his eyes. He slid them down to his chin, before leaning forward onto his elbows, crossing his arms. He glanced toward the arm of the couch farthest from him.

An unopened envelope lay there, bright white contrasting pale blue. It was completely unassuming, practically domestic as it laid at a slight angle. If he didn't know any better, he would assume it was a bill. It looked at him mockingly

His head tilted slightly as he leaned over and picked it up for the thirty sixth time this evening. Straightening out he held the envelope by the very edges, wishing he could use a pair of tongs instead. His had gotten lost after Honda had to borrow it for some reason. Something about finger paint and a school project.

It was a standard envelope, the exact kind used for bills. The plastic window revealed nothing but a paper with his name and address on it, confirming its placement was not a mistake. It wasn't heavy, on the contrary it seemed to be very light, as if it didn't even contain a full sheet of paper. The only real feature that stood out was the symbol it carried in place of a return address.

How it got through regulation was beyond him, though Ryou had a feeling he was trying desperately to ignore. Seeing as how the envelope had been sitting right on the arm of the couch when he got home, the place he usually reserved for his coat and any bags he might be carrying, gave him the idea it didn't even go through the mail. He brushed it off when he first saw it, thinking that he'd placed there in the morning and simply forgot about it. He hadn't even spared it a second glance until several hours later, when he checked the calendar and realized he'd already paid for everything this month. A glance at the envelope itself started a seed of some emotion, and he'd been trying to ignore it ever since.

He almost opened the envelope about a third of the times he picked it up. After a half hour of debating by the window he had settled his reluctance, and a wary curiosity had replaced it. He wouldn't figure out what its purpose was by stealing glances at it.

His breath shook, but his fingers held still as he ran two along the symbol, noting it was raised slightly. It was glossy black in color, fine lines giving a barest impression of shape. He recognized it enough that, compared to how it hung around the neck, it appeared sideways. There was no stamp.

The symbol appeared to be an ankh portrayed horizontally, pointing toward the far edge. A closer look revealed a small line perpendicular to the main bar of the ankh, and it was this small detail that gave Ryou such an awful feeling.

It portrayed the Millennium Key.

Shuddering, he flipped the envelope over and looked at the opening. The lip was completely glued shut, sealed to the very edge so tightly that not even air could circulate though. He detested opening envelopes anyway but lengthwise, so he could either rip it open with his finger or get a knife.

He might have developed a decent pain tolerance, but he still wasn't terribly keen on getting a paper cut. Instead, he reached for the butter knife he placed earlier on the repaired coffee table.

He owned no knife sharper than this, not even for chopping food. It embarrassed him to admit but he had a slight phobia of them. The only thing remotely sharp left in the apartment was a pair of safety scissors locked in one of his desk drawers. He had rounded the tips of his model castle years ago, when the wound on his hand became nothing more than another scar.

He held both the knife and the envelope for a moment, mentally asking himself again if he wanted to do this. Stuck in his mind was an image of the last piece of mail he received from Egypt, where he assumed this piece came from. Opening that package was possibly the worst mistake in his life. But even taking into account where the letter was from and the mark it bared, how likely was it that it contained something bad?

The once-bearer of the Millennium Key never was specifically cruel without purpose. Ryou had done nothing that would warrant Shadi's ire, and he doubted that a single piece of mail would harm him. At worst, it would be a warning of imminent danger, and in that case opening it would be the best choice, right?

Ryou took a steadying breath of air, readjusted his grip of the knife, and began opening the letter.

He struggled for a bit as he tried to poke a hole in sturdy paper with a rounded edge, but after a moment he gained surface and he was able to make progress. He frowned when he noticed a white film of dust that rose in a cloud every time he jerked the knife up. It spread around him surprisingly quickly, but went no further than his position. It didn't have a scent and wasn't hindering his breath, so he ignored it and continued.

When he finished he leaned over again to set the dusty knife on the table and sat back up, pushing the edges of the now open envelope inward to look. A folded sheet of paper rested inside, the same sheet that bared his name and address. Wiping the sweat off the palm of his hand he reached inside and evenly lifted the paper out. It seemed heavier now, with some sort of resistance that revealed itself once the paper was fully extracted.

Sand. It poured out of the edges of the paper in an alarming amount, spilling on the floor and pooling around the unresponsive slippers of the letter opener. A few moments passed in shock before Ryou jumped up, clumsily dropping both the paper and the envelope onto the floor, where they were quickly buried. The air in the apartment seemed drier as the sand continued to spill forth, the lights harsher.

A rush of nausea struck and the young man swayed, head feeling as if it was lined with cotton. Sound muffled as he tried to step away from the envelope, white and gold grains rushing over his feet. He turned, struggling to move his body to his will.

The top of his foot hit his leg, and he fell on all fours, ears ringing and darkness bordering his vision. His body felt numb but he was sweating, feeling a tense static in his limbs. His breaths came in short gasps and he could almost feel his pupils dilating rapidly. His hands were clawed and his knuckles white, bones straining against taut skin. His eyes wouldn't shut, and he stared at the carpet wavering before his vision. In desperation he looked down, attempting to focus on anything but the rapid spinning inside his head.

His eyes studied the fine details of the carpet, how the fibers curled back and forth in a continuous motion. It wasn’t until this very moment that he realized the strands weren't just once color, but two hues of blue that crisscrossed each other, intertwining again and again. They seemed so different now that he really looked at it, his eyes tunneling as the pain in his head spiked. He couldn’t say that he liked one over the other, preferring the color they made when his eyes began to lose clarity.

His arms began to shake in earnest now, and he wavered side to side, the need to retch strong but feeling he would die if he did. His already haggard breathing grew shallower as he tried to stop himself from falling forward. His eyes, wide open but darkening, showed less of the world. He again tried to focus on something else, but this time to escape the feeling of shimmering white sand crawling over his hands.

All at once he was reminded of a ride at the local amusement park from his youth, the shakiness in his limbs close to as it was then. Amane couldn't ride because she was too short, and had instead insisted he go in her place. He didn't want to, but after she asked so nicely, begging with her eyes and hands fisted in determination, he caved. He couldn't say no to her. He never could.

The last image he remembered in his mind's eye was Amane's own eyes, big and blue and infinite as the world tunneled around him and fell though.


	2. Once

A pained groan sounded out in the apartment, loud in the early morning silence. Quiet shuffling was heard for a moment, abruptly brought to a halt by a muffled thud and a loud crack.

Ryou opened his eyes with a startled yelp. He looked around the room in panic before his mind caught up with what he was seeing.

'Why... why am I on the floor?' Ryou wondered, squinting at the light from the window. If he had thought his joints were stiff before, his past self was a fool. Every movement felt like fire, and the sun in his eyes did not help.

He did a quick check over of his body, to be safe, but saw no bruises to speak of. Well, except for a quickly developing one on his elbow, which was throbbing painfully all the way down to his fingers.

He sat up, trying to figure out why he decided falling asleep on the couch would be a good idea. Placing a hand carefully on the coffee table and another on the sofa, he picked himself up gently, wincing at his funny bone. 'At least it wasn't my head. I doubt waking up alone with a concussion would help anyone, let alone myself.'

Ryou sat himself on the couch, which was still warm from where he obviously slept. He tried to remember the night before, but all he could seem to recall was looking outside the window before sitting here... and then it blurred.

The fact it blurred was the only detail that kept him calm, as it wasn't a full black out. Blurred meant that he was there, that he was aware enough to remember color and sound. That there wasn't another mind in place of his own.

Unwillingly, he shivered. Mentally blaming it on the cold air, he grabbed a throw blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around himself. To be fair, he was quite cold, having slept without one.

He looked at the coffee table as he warmed up. It still bared a scar down the middle that gave remembrance to Jonouchi’s little accident. One night and a bottle of wood glue let it stand again, but he was always a little worried it would fall apart at any given moment. So, at most he kept a newspaper and a small bowl of chocolates on it, the latter to which he reached for now.

As a chocolate wrapper added to the coffee table's list of items, he noticed something he can't believe he missed. It was an opened envelope and a knife, both resting about a foot apart from each other. He picked up the butter knife and looked at it, noticing in its reflection that he looked worse than he felt. Holding it gave a push to his memory and he seemed to recall opening the envelope with it.

'Not that any sane man couldn't figure that out, seeing both items were sitting right next to each other.'

He hated mess, so he settled the blanket more securely around him and stood up, taking a moment to get his head under control from the wave of disorientation that hit, and took both the wrapper and knife to the kitchen area. Setting the knife back with its brethren and the wrapper to the trash, Ryou happened a glance at the time.

'Huh, I don't usually get up without an alarm until 10. That's what I get from sleeping on a lumpy couch though.' he thought, glancing back. His eyes fell upon the envelope, and curiosity gnawed at him. He remembered vaguely opening the envelope, but he didn't have a clue as to what the letter said.

Sitting down on the couch again and reaching toward the white paper, he stilled as he felt another twinge of memory. It was nothing but a feeling, deep in his chest and stinging. He recognized it briefly as fear before it dissipated as fast as it came.

Nothing really stuck him as he studied it, glancing quickly at the return address. It listed a place he didn't recognize. Pinching the corners of the envelope inward let him look at the inside, seeing a folded sheet of paper bearing his name and address. He quickly slid the paper out and unfolded it.

A moment of reading later and he groaned. It was simple junk mail, advertising a "male enhancement", he read with a blush. Just because his hair was white didn't mean he was a "man over 50", as the ad was clearly directed toward. Honestly, why he didn't just throw this out yesterday was a mystery to him.

With a roll of his eyes he shoved the letter back into the envelope and crumpled it, tightening the blanket around himself as he rose again and walked toward the other room. It was after he threw the offending piece of mail out that he looked at his calendar, taking the blue sharpie hanging next to it and crossing out yesterday's date, a Friday.

A smile came to his face as he basked in the glow of the weekend. Sure, working at the library was relaxing compared to some other jobs, and he definitely enjoyed the calm silence and internet access he used when he finished cataloging for the day, but a job was a job.

And it'd been forever since he visited his friends.

Before, he was never really 'included' in things they did. Sure, they were still his friends, but there was always a hint of worry in the air when he was near. And while it hurt, he understood completely. If someone was likely to turn into a murderous demon without warning he'd be nervous too.

Now that the issue had been finally laid to rest both parties were infinitely more relaxed, and the barrier he felt when he was around them fell through. He was finally able to let go of his worry and paranoia and simply be himself again.

Looking down at his rumpled attire he decided a change of wardrobe would be necessary. 'And,' he thought, feeling his stiff muscles, 'a quick shower.'

***

Forty minutes later revealed a Ryou in a far better mood. It was close to fall, so he was dressed in jeans and a simple dark blue sweater. His hair, always the last to dry, was up in a navy colored towel, some strands escaping down his forehead.

He walked over to the cupboard he grabbed a box of cereal, placing it on the sky colored counter top. He hummed a tune as he opened another door and retrieved a bowl and spoon, grabbing the milk from the fridge on his way. Moments later and he was leaning back against the counter, looking out the window.

Living on the top floor had plenty of downfalls, walking up twenty-five sets of stairs for one(they still haven't fixed the elevator), but the view was simply worth it. There were other things too, like a decreased amount of street noise, but the view of Domino city was stunning. Especially at night, when the lights lit up like stars.

He realized, with a jolt of shock, that he was glad he moved here. Even with the spirit business, the blackouts, the incredible danger he and his friends always seemed to be in, he was glad.

In fact, if it wasn't for the spirit to begin with, he wouldn't have the wonderful friends he had now.

'Huh, I guess he granted my wish anyhow.' he thought with a small smile. Who would have guessed that the people the spirit had been so desperate to kill would have become Ryou's closest companions.

It was the first time he thought of it like that, and his smile grew when he could think of the spirit without fear.

'I really am over it.' he mused, returning to his breakfast. 'Took long enough.'

***

He waited until it was closer to noon before calling Yugi, knowing that even if the game king got up early, Honda and Jonouchi usually didn't. The phone rang five times before Ryou heard a click.

"Kame Game shop, how can I help you today?" Yugi's voice was heard over the sound of a sheet of paper rustling, a magazine probably.

"Ah, hello Yugi, I didn't realize you were working today." Ryou looked over at the calendar, frowning. Yugi didn't usually work Saturdays, preferring to take over for his grandfather Sunday through Thursday. Fridays were usually spent with Anzu or at home, while on Saturdays he tried to get together with his friends.

"Oh!" Yugi said, instantly switching his tone to a more relaxed one, "Hi Ryou, I didn't realize it was you." His grandfather still hadn't set up the caller I.D. he bought a month ago.

"Hey, are you alright?" Yugi's voice switched to worry.

Ryou blinked in surprise. "Yes, of course I am. Well, aside from my elbow, but that was more my fault than anything." he said, chuckling quietly.

He could almost hear the frown in his friend's voice. "Are you sure? I called you about ten times the other day, both your home phone and your cell, and you didn't answer."

"I... are you certain?" Ryou asked, frowning as he picked up his cell from beside his phone. He never carried it on him unless he was out.

"Uh, definitely. We were all wondering where you were, and why you didn't call ahead like usual if you weren't going to be there. I remember you said you really wanted to go this time too." Yugi accused lightly.

Ryou felt a stab of surprise as he looked at his cell and found that, yes, he had twelve missed calls. The feeling turned south as he looked at the date in the upper right hand corner and found that today was September 16th, a Monday.

"Ryou?" Yugi asked worriedly when he was silent for too long. "Ryou, are you still there?"

"A-ah, sorry Yugi, I blanked out for a moment." Ryou stuttered quickly. "I, uh, forgot all about it and pulled another shift at the library, and you know how they hate cell phones there, so I must have left it at home." he said in a rush, panic making him come up with an excuse fast, even as he was cringing at the lie.

"Oh, well, no problem then.” There was an awkward silence on the line for a moment, and Ryou thought his lie was going to get called out, before Yugi continued. “You wanna hang out later this week instead? We were planning on going to go see that new movie Saturday." Yugi said, his voice quickly returning to its regular happy level, and Ryou nearly sighed in relief. "It's supposed to be a prequel to the entire 'Legend of the Black Magic Wizard' series, and we'll finally be able to see how Romulus went from the brightest to the darkest!" he exclaimed, glowing with intensity just talking about it.

"S-sure, I'd love to." Ryou was holding onto the edge of the counter, feeling light headed. He took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it gently. When he spoke, his voice was again even. "What time does it start?"

"Hold on, let me check." There was a rapid shuffling noise before Yugi answered. "The first showing starts at 10 am, but I'm guessing that the 2 pm one would be best, knowing how certain someones don't get up until noon." he teased.

"Sure, alright, that sounds good." Ryou felt the beginnings of another bout of panic, so he tried to hurry things along. "Sorry for being so brief Yugi, but, uh, I just realized I forgot to do something." 'Smooth Ryou, really convincing.' "I'll call tomorrow." he heard Yugi start to say something before he hung up.

Taking another steadying breath of air, he checked the time. It was a quarter to noon, and if it was Monday, his shift started soon. Trying to still his shaking hands, he reached for the phone again, dialing the number for the Domino library.

"Ah, yes, Morimono-san?"

"I apologize, but I'm not going to be able to come in today."

"No, I'm not feeling all that well."

"Yes, it is probably the stomach bug going around."

"Yes, I know, I-"

"Yes, thank you."

"Have a nice day Morimono-san."

Ryou set the phone in the cradle again, before he turned and walked with deliberate movements toward the couch.

He didn't know what to think, as he sat down. How could it possibly be Monday? He unconsciously rubbed his chest, where the ring used to rest. True, he didn't remember all of Friday night, but it wasn't like it was a full black out. He still remembered impressions of light and sound, like a dream.

Looking around the room, nothing seemed to be out of place. There wasn't any new mud on his shoes by the door and the coat was hanging just as he left it. In fact, if he remembered right, the clothes he woke up with this morning were the same as the clothes he wore Friday, down to the ink blotch on his sleeve from where he leaned too much into the library's ink pad.

He felt lousy, so it was possible he had gotten sick on Friday, and passed out from a fever. With this in mind he walked to the bathroom, taking a digital thermometer from the medicine cabinet and shoving it under his tongue.

His fingers tapped on the ceramic counter as he waited for the beep of the thermometer to go off. He wasn’t following any specific pattern, but the rhythm he came up with seemed catchy. He was almost tempted to start humming in accompaniment when the plastic gave out a high pitched beep, startling him. He took it and read the dim numbers making up the measurement, eyebrow quirking up as the temperature was quite normal. Maybe a point percentage or two lower than usual, but nothing extreme.

He sterilized the tool with some alcohol, sighing through his nose. Could it have been a flash fever? He replayed his day in his mind, thinking if he had eaten anything weird, or maybe cut himself on something? Anything that could have led to some sort of allergic reaction, though he didn’t know if he even had any.

Putting everything back in its proper place he walked over to the small window in the bathroom, checking the lock and the slight layer of dust that had settled, trying to spot any disturbance. He walked around his apartment, checking every widow for signs of anything getting in. Or out.

Nothing was out of place. Every window was locked, screens were in place, no smudges or fingerprints anywhere. It was all normal.

He sat down, rubbing an eye.

The only possible explanation he was left with, the only one he would accept, was that he fell asleep on the couch for two days. It seemed unreasonable, but it would certainly explain the awful ache in his muscles he woke up with, and the early hour he woke at.

Grasping onto that comforting if unrealistic thought, he once again stood up, moving toward the door. He had taken the day off, so he might as well use it.

He grabbed the coat from the rack on his way, slipping on his shoes. He was going to head over to the park for a walk, clear his head. Maybe then he'd stop feeling sick to his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was unable to read this through before posting, so I hope there is not any glaring errors.
> 
> Leave a comment if you so choose.


	3. Twice

He was only half way down the street from his apartment complex when he began shivering. After going another half block without it stopping, Ryou turned around and dashed back. Feeling energetic enough and having a need to warm up he took the stairs at a jog, and grabbed a much thicker coat from his closet than the windbreaker he used yesterday.

'Friday, not yesterday, two days ago. Keep it together.' Ryou thought, feeling more claustrophobic the longer he spent inside. He yearned to stretch his legs, a feeling he was a bit unfamiliar with. Usually he worked on his figurines if he was feeling stressed, or read a bit. Right now though, he needed to get out.

After nearly sprinting down the stairs, skipping several, he was back outside in no time, the wind not nearly as biting under the heavier layers. He tucked his hands into his pockets despite wearing a thin pair of gloves. He refused to break out the winter clothes yet, it was only fall after all, even if they were suffering from what seemed to be a bit of a cold snap.

Breathing in the chilly air, Ryou set a moderate pace as he made his way toward the city park. The sun was bright in the sky and he was never more at peace with it. Soon the dark material of his coat warmed from the rays, and Ryou began to relax, rolling his shoulders in pleasure. So what if his memory was a bit blurry, and he all but fell into a two day coma. Stranger things had certainly happened, and he had been working rather hard as of late, taking extra shifts and not getting as much sleep. And not only that, but it wouldn't surprise him if this was the result of some prank from Jonouchi. There had been that letter left suspiciously on his couch after all, and it wouldn't be the first time the blond had gotten into his apartment.

He had told them all where he left his spare key, though he intended for it to be something used in emergencies. Though he should not be surprised, in reality it was used to drop by unannounced. On one memorable occasion it was even used to set up a surprise birthday party. He smiled at the recollection, a rush of love for his friends further warming him. That day was rather special to him, though at the time he had admittedly been a bit awkward with his reaction to the festivity.

He had only heard about surprise parties before, and he was unfortunately a bit more startled than ecstatic when he turned the lights on to see everyone surrounding him, shouting. He was already out the door and down two floors before he came back to himself, his logic finally winning over his momentary panic, connecting the dots of a _cake_ and _streamers_ to the date it was.

To say he was embarrassed when he walked back through his own doors would be an understatement, but his friends were nothing if not understanding, and perhaps a bit sheepish. Apologies were attempted, but he had swatted them away, insisting that their intentions were kind, and he was just… jumpy. It took some time afterword for the atmosphere to lighten, unsaid and unmentioned thoughts choking the air, but there is little cake and gifts can’t solve for an unsavory mood. Twenty minutes and the night’s rough start was all but forgotten, leaving a treasured and soft memory he holds secure. He made certain to mention then, at the night’s end, that he did enjoy their surprise, even if he did run initially. Jounouchi had laughed then, powering through both Honda’s and Anzu’s warning glare, saying that he had never seen someone run so fast before, that he ‘blinked, and you were gone!’.

Over the weeks the event turned into something of an in-joke, Jounouchi saying things like ‘All we need is a cake at the starting line, and Ryou would win this sprint, no joke’ and ‘The only thing quicker to leave than my attention span, is Ryou from a party’. Comments of the like would usually be followed by an elbow or a kick from another of their group, until it was noted that Ryou would be the one laughing the most. He wasn’t made of glass after all, and he found the joke, that he had some sort of super speed but only when there was a birthday party, much better than trying to walk on eggshells around him. The elbows stopped, and the air became a bit more comfortable, and their friendships a bit more relaxed.

Jogging lightly he jumped over a crack in the sidewalk, the cool air doing wonders for clearing the fog in his head. Thinking about the situation more an idea sprung to mind. The spare key, the letter he had barely a memory of opening… perhaps this was all a prank. The most likely culprit would be _Jounouchi_ of course, planting some bobbytrapped mail in his apartment would be nothing if not easy for someone with key access, and all of his friend’s faces were recognized by the security guard who worked there. As for what he put in the envelope, well. Sleeping powder was a thing right? He’s seen it used in movies before, so there must be some sort of real life equivalent.

Nodding his head in acceptance of this idea, Ryou relaxed further as he excused this odd situation. Though a two day mystery sleep was far from the oddest thing to have happened to him, he was more than willing to blame it on a perfectly mundane reason. In fact, the more normal, the better, and nothing fit that more than a normal, harmless prank.

'Well, mostly harmless.' Ryou responded to himself, thinking of his lost weekend. He turned a corner, still at a light jog, his breath even and steady in the cool air. He really had been looking forward to spending time with his friends, and knowing that he’d have to go through an entire week of work before he could do so made a well of disappointment linger in his stomach. Why Jonouchi would pull this kind of prank on him confused Ryou. It took a moment of reflection on the thought for him to realize that, for some reason, he didn’t feel bitter at the action. He was confused yes, perhaps a bit frustrated, but he wasn’t bitter. His steps quickened slightly, and he had to leap a bit to dodge out of the way of some laughing middle schoolers chatting amongst themselves. It was a splint second of seeing an eye roll directed to one of their member that the answer presented itself, and he felt the warmth of the sun anew.

After all, there was once a time where Jonouchi couldn’t even look him in the eye out of fear of finding someone else looking back behind his eyes. None of them could, except maybe Yuugi. Ryou knew that he had come a long way in dispelling the lingering fear in his friend's eyes, but the idea that they were now so comfortable with him that they were willing to pull pranks on him? That made a smile rise to his face, one that brightened his eyes and twisted a laugh from his throat.

Minutes passed as he continued to jog, mind blissfully blank for a moment, before an idea sprung to mind. He slowed for a moment, legs changing course almost before he made the decision to move in the direction of Jonouchi and Honda’s shared apartment. Both of them had work on Mondays, so their apartment would be completely empty at this hour. It would be the perfect time to get a little bit of harmless retaliation. And even if they didn’t actually prank him, he figured as his smile grew a tad mischievous, those two wouldn’t mind too much.

A few blocks away from his destination, a rush of adrenaline flooded though Ryou. He had never done anything like this before, and even though he drew looks of confusion from those headed in the direction of lunchtime haunts, his legs urged him to move faster. Starting at a gentle jog, he soon began to pump his legs to a faster rhythm he heard tapping in his head. Thighs burning and heart hammering, he sprinted through the streets in a way reminiscent of one night he had attempted to flee the spirit. This time, panic was replaced by a serene nothingness. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine the way the air passed through his hair wouldn’t be all that different from the sensation of flight.

His breath laughed out in a soundless expulsion as a heaviness that seemed to plague him for so long retreated far behind him, the thought that it even existed at all becoming a dimming shadow within his heart. The smaller this shadow became, the greater the energy in his limbs seemed to become, sprinting ever faster between and around the semi-crowded sidewalk. Colors seemed to blur together as sounds muted themselves, the quick beats of his heart and footfalls synchronizing to a seemingly symphonic rhythm. The only discomfort felt was the cutting cold wind slicing the ruby red of his inner throat, his outward warm breath doing little to sooth the steely air. This sensation fell easily to the back of his thoughts, barely a second of rumination given.

A sudden ghosting of red was the only thing that surprised Ryou enough to pull him out of his blinding exhilaration, distracted just long enough to shoulder into a tall man. Spinning around, the world crashing back to him in solid grays and powder sky blue, he hastily apologized. The man, likely some business employee, merely shot a disgusted glance his way before straightening his pinstripe jacket and readjusting a red tie. Ryou stuttered out another word of apology. Though he didn’t have an accurate base for assumptions, the man seemed like he was wearing more than what his apartment had cost.

The man turned away without a word, and Ryou watched as he walked away, broad shoulders merging into the crowd. Shaking his head he turned back around, noting now how tired his legs felt. Still, he felt that restless energy, and he took off at a jog.

He arrived shortly after at Jounouchi and Honda’s apartment, face flushed and arms jittery. He had been unable to quite make it back to that state he was in before, too twitchy after running into that man. _Adrenaline? Was that runner’s high?_ He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, so he ignored it for the time being. He had more important things to worry about right now anyways, as he climbed up the outdoor stairway. For example;

_What exactly was a good payback prank?_


End file.
